West Ham one step closer to signing £17m midfielder who could fill Declan Rice void..
West Ham United’s midfield overhaul is only just beginning, yet the Premier League outfit already look well-placed to secure a signing which could spark the summer into life at the London Stadium.
PSG loanee Carlos Soler said his goodbyes after West Ham United’s 3-1 final day victory over Ipswich Town.
Graham Potter is open to letting Tomas Soucek go as well, while Lucas Paqueta, Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez may be sold for the right price.
Now, a source close to the club’s top brass did tell Hammers News that West Ham will centre their rebuild around exciting, young talent with considerable potential.
“It is impossible to say at this time how many signings we will make, but hopefully it is going to be a minimum of three to five. Possibly more,” that source said.
“It is all part of our plan to reinvent the squad around exciting younger talent.”
Raphael Onyedika, a month out from his 24th birthday, certainly fits the bill.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Club Brugge find Raphael Onyedika replacement as West Ham United move in
According to The Athletic, Club Brugge’s Nigerian enforcer Raphael Onyedika is one of West Ham United’s top targets this summer.
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Onyedika idolises former Manchester United, Juventus and France playmaker Paul Pogba. A deep-lying midfielder, the 2023 African Cup of Nations finalist does like to pick up the ball in front of the back-four and spray passes into the final third in classic Pogba fashion.
The part of his game which may appeal the most to West Ham, however, is the energy and the tenacity he provides out of possession.
In a midfield lacking in pace – both Edson Alvarez and Guido Rodriguez have struggled to adapt to the speed of English football – Onyedika could provide something the Hammers have lacked since Declan Rice’s departure two years ago.
Belgian publication Het Nieuwsblad, meanwhile, reported on Tuesday that Onyedika is now ‘almost certain to leave’ the Jan Breydel Stadium. This comes after Club Brugge reached an agreement with Ludovit Reis for a deal which will see the Hamburg string-puller arrive as his replacement.
Voetbal24 add that Club Brugge want around £17 million, given that Onyedika still has two years left on his contract.
Onyedika follows in Mohammed Kudus’ footsteps after Denmark beginnings
It is understood that Everton, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Leicester City watched Onyedika a year ago.
The Athletic do not mention clubs by name, but they do now say that West Ham are one of many top-flight outfits pursuing another rising African talent who rose through the ranks in Danish football alongside the likes of Ernest Nuamah, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Frank Onyeka, and West Ham’s own Mohammed Kudus.
Kudus set the Danish top-flight alight with Nordsjaelland before joining Ajax. Onyedika, meanwhile, spent three years with Midtjylland.
“I like to win duels and I am also good with the ball at my feet,” Onyedika once told Voetbal Nieuws.
“Personally, I look up to Paul Pogba. A lot of people say we look alike, but I just want to be the best version of myself.”
A tally of nine yellow cards accumulated during the 2024/25 campaign highlights Onyedika’s aggressive, full-blooded nature.
Onyedika scored one of his two goals against none other than Manchester City in the Champions League, meanwhile. Driving into the box and finishing with a fierce, Declan Rice-esque strike from the edge of the area.
“Onyedika is a versatile player who plays mainly as a central midfielder and is capable of playing on the right flank, in a holding role, as a deep-lying playmaker, in a box-to-box role, or even as an attacking midfielder,” Nigerian newspaper Punch explains.
“Onyedika is skilful and is very good at aerial balls. He is strong and has also drawn praise for his flair speed as well as ability to hold up the ball.”
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